This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

2014 Olympics: Steve Yzerman named Team Canada executive director once again

The architect behind Canada’s 2010 gold-medal winning men’s team at the Vancouver Olympics will once again lead the squad in 2014.

Steve Yzerman is going to lead Team Canada into the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Hockey Canada has named Yzerman, shown in this Feb. 13, 2010 file photo, executive director of the men's hockey team for a second straight Winter Games. (Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

By Steve Laurence Heinen The Canadian Press

Mon., March 5, 2012

CALGARY—Steve Yzerman is looking to repeat.

The architect behind Canada’s 2010 gold-medal winning men’s team at the Vancouver Olympics will once again lead the squad in 2014.

“Given the opportunity to go to Russia and compete in the Olympics again, that’s too good an opportunity to pass up,” Yzerman said Monday after Hockey Canada named the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning as its executive director for the men’s team at the Sochi Games.

“It’s just too great a challenge and these are things I really enjoy doing. Going into Russia trying to win a gold medal will be an incredibly awesome challenge and exciting for all of us.”

Yzerman’s management group for the Games will include Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, Edmonton Oilers president Kevin Lowe, St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong and Bob Nicholson and Brad Pascall of Hockey Canada.

“When I met with Steve Yzerman, he didn’t just want it — he really wanted to be involved and to lead this group,” said Nicholson, Hockey Canada’s president. “There was no reason to look at any different person to lead. He quickly came to the conclusion that he’d like to have the same group around him that he did in Vancouver, so we’re moving ahead.”

Lowe, meanwhile, has also been put in charge of Canada’s entry at the upcoming world hockey championship in Helsinki. Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli and Toronto Maple Leafs director of operations Dave Nonis will be his assistants at that tournament.

Canada has had a pair of disappointing showings at the past two world championships and has fallen to fourth in the world rankings.

“We encourage all of the available Canadian players to really give it good consideration to come and play for Canada given that it’s been a couple years that Canada hasn’t done well at the world championships,” Lowe said. “If we do perform well and win at this world championship, that’ll put us right back at the top.”

The rankings after this year’s world championship will determine how countries are seeded at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

“This year’s world championship is so important for us to have a very good showing there so that we can move up in the rankings,” Nicholson said.

While Lowe and his management team will have the luxury to choose from the best players in the NHL whose teams didn’t qualify for the playoffs, it hasn’t yet been determined whether that will be the case for Sochi.

“I also want to make it very clear that Hockey Canada certainly hopes that NHL players will be playing in Russia in the 2014 Olympics, but it’s not Hockey Canada’s decision,” Nicholson said. “This is a decision that will be made by the National Hockey League (and) the National Hockey League Players’ Association through their collective bargaining agreement.”

Yzerman believes he will be able to assemble another team comprised of Canada’s best.

“I think at the end of the day everyone will agree that it’s good for the game and we’ll work something out,” Yzerman said. “Obviously if the NHL isn’t involved, it’s going to be a dramatically different tournament. You’ve got to figure out who will coach, who will play, but we’ll work that out.”

Regardless of whether or not NHL players are allowed to compete in Sochi, Yzerman and his management team have committed to putting together the best entry possible.

“If NHL players are not in the Olympics, these gentleman will still help us put together a plan for us to be successful in Russia,” Nicholson said.

After assembling the team that prevailed in Vancouver, Yzerman said he’s ready to face the pressure involved with picking the Canadian team that will attempt to defend its gold medal in Sochi.

“As a nation we have to recognize that these other countries are getting better and it’s difficult to win,” Yzerman said. “We’re not going to win every time and we should appreciate the times we do win.

“That’s the reality. We’re expected to win and our goal is to win. I want to go over there and win too. I’m not going for any other reason.”

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com